Diverse seeds at a farmer-run seed bank, Kenya. Photo by G. Smith/Alliance Bioversity International-CIAT.

Financial highlights

Financial highlights

Funding channels

Investments in CGIAR may be delivered through the multi-Funder CGIAR Trust Fund or directly to specific projects at CGIAR Research Centers (outside the Fund), which is called Bilateral Funding. Funding for the CGIAR Trust Fund is channeled through three Windows, at increasing levels of Funder collective action:

Window 3 (W3) – Project investments: funding allocated by Funders individually to projects that are defined by the Funders themselves (with partners) and that are aligned with system-wide investments.

Window 2 (W2) – Program investments: funding allocated by Funders individually to any component (CGIAR Research Program [CRP] or Platform) of the system-wide portfolio as prioritized, defined, and approved by the Funders collectively through the System Council.

Window 1 (W1) – Portfolio investments: funding allocated to the entire CGIAR Portfolio of approved system-wide investments prioritized and allocated by Funders collectively through the System Council — supporting CGIAR as a whole.

In 2020, CGIAR recognized revenue of US$736 million, of which W1 and W2 accounted for 24% (an increase of 2% from 2019); W3 was 27% (a decrease of 2% compared to 2019); Bilateral was 46% (the same level compared to 2019); and Other Income was 4% (about the same level in 2019). See a comparison of 2020 and 2019 funding in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1. CGIAR revenue by source of funding, 2020 and 2019

Further analysis of revenue since 2011 by funding source is shown in Figure 2 below. W1 and W2 in 2020 increased by 2% from 2019 level.

Figure 2. CGIAR revenue by source of funding, 2011-2020

Figure 3 shows the main categories of expenditure. Overall, expenses in 2020 decreased by 12% to US$737 million from US$836 million in 2019. In 2020, 86% of expenditure was on research and collaboration costs, and 14% was on general, administrative, and system-wide costs. The same level as in 2019 for both categories of expenditure.

Figure 3. Expenditure by main category, 2020 and 2019

Figure 4 shows expenditure by CRPs and Platforms by funding channel. There is a wide range in the overall size of program funding: expenditure in 2020 varied from about US$24 million to US$65 million.

The share of W1 and W2 funding in the overall portfolio expenditure is 27%. W1 and W2 funding adds value not only through its flexibility but also because it helps direct investments to agreed system-wide priorities, such as gender or monitoring and evaluation, which are not always included in project budgets.

Figure 4. Funding to CGIAR Research Programs and Platforms by channel

For access to more detailed information on funding and expenditure by Center, Program, or Funder, visit the CGIAR Financial Report Dashboards.

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